Sun. April 14, 2019 – still asleep

By on April 14th, 2019 in Random Stuff

Cool and damp, I’m pretty sure….

I’m hoping I’m still asleep, as I went to bed dead tired. Wife and older daughter still at camp, youngest is as sneaky and quiet as a ninja when she wants to watch tv in the morning…which hopefully results in me getting some extra sleep.

If not, well, I’ve got a ton of stuff to do today.

n

47 Comments and discussion on "Sun. April 14, 2019 – still asleep"

  1. lynn says:

    “The Best Video Streaming Services for 2019”
    https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/336650/the-best-video-streaming-services

    Fubo appears to have sports (Go Astros !) but they do not have an app for my 4K tv. So, I have to buy a Roku. The 4K Roku is $88.
    https://www.amazon.com/Roku-Ultra-Streaming-Player-Voice-Headphones/dp/B07HDHXZH4/?tag=ttgnet-20

    DirecTV is not long for the world at our house. They have enraged the wife with their constant price increases.

  2. CowboySlim says:

    From yesterday, mediumwave:

    There are two kinds of nation on this planet: The ones that use the metric system, and the one that put a man on the moon.

    I’ll be switching to metric when I think that I am smarter than the Wright Brothers.

  3. Greg Norton says:

    DirecTV is not long for the world at our house. They have enraged the wife with their constant price increases.

    Walking through the Target in the dead mini mall which contains our current co-working space, I saw an display for Orby prepaid satellite TV. $40/mo. Prepaid.

    Dunno much about that one. Googling around, I learned that the signal is weaker so the dish has to be bigger — 1 m.

    I always believed that the Death Star bought DirecTV for the video delivery tech to run over fiber and the satellite was just kept around for customers whose only other option was the asinine Uverse DSL bonding scheme with the decoder box at the curb.

    We are almost at the point of sending Time Warner TV service packing now that Sling seems to be working out for the kids.

  4. ayj says:

    the fascination with imperial units in US is maybe a deja vu when you were UK colony and homage to maiestas, feet, foot etc etc etc which set up the even more strange exchange rate pound shillings etc.

    Really since is democratic and MKS is a son of French revolution it should be the opposite

    40 years ago it was difficult form me to understand slugs etc in high school, and adjust to it, I forget really everything.

  5. Spook says:

    Florida man killed by large flightless bird (cassowary).

    Need I say more?

  6. Nick Flandrey says:

    Florida Man has been in the news a lot recently.

    well, didn’t think my back, bladder, child, dog, or the universe would let me sleep this long, but Hooray!! I feel pretty good.

    Well now, Up and at ’em, Atom Ant!

    n

  7. Nick Flandrey says:

    And it just now got up to 60F in the shade, 70F in the sun. Windy and clear.

    RH of 45% is a welcome break.

    n

  8. Ray Thompson says:

    As promised, for another time sink…

    Wrestling Pictures. Local event, fund raiser for the school. Something of which to take pictures.

  9. Nick Flandrey says:

    Great pics! Got some good action shots.

    Yes, pro wrestling is scripted, the moves are standardized, and the wrestlers practice together. HOWEVER, the athleticism and potential for injury are both high. It’s a spectacle, larger than life, more perceived risk than actual risk, but there are still risks.

    It’s like a play, only with jumps and throws 🙂

    It’s also big money business.

    n

  10. Greg Norton says:

    It’s also big money business.

    Just ask Tampa’s PBS station WEDU, Ch. 3.

    WEDU’s endowment is among the largest in the country thanks to “Championship Wrestling From Florida” which taped in the PBS station’s studios during the Gordon Solie era.

    It is among the deepest, darkest secrets of PBS..

  11. lynn says:

    “2019 Masters: Tiger Woods storms leaderboard, wins fifth green jacket in furious finish”
    https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/2019-masters-tiger-woods-storms-leaderboard-wins-fifth-green-jacket-in-furious-finish/

    “After an uneven first nine, Woods got it done through the final round to win his first Masters since 2005”

    I have to admit, I am impressed for a 43 year old guy with multiple knee and back surgeries.

    Hat tip to:
    https://drudgereport.com/

  12. lynn says:

    I am headed to San Antone for an engineering conference in a few minutes. Should interesting and boring simultaneously. This is about the 20th or 22nd time that I have gone.
    https://gpamidstreamconvention.org/

  13. lynn says:

    “Sarah Sanders slams Congress as not ‘smart enough’ to read rump’s tax returns and says president won’t release them as long as he’s under audit”
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6921061/Sarah-Sanders-slams-Congress-not-smart-read-Trumps-tax-returns.html

    I knew I liked her. And she is correct.

  14. Ray Thompson says:

    It’s like a play, only with jumps and throws

    I went to just take pictures for the school since it was a fund raiser. I did not pay to get in the event. I was also on a rolling chair at ring side in the space between the ring and the audience barrier. I was able to roll around freely. A couple of times I feared I was going to get clobbered.

    What is strange is that I actually enjoyed the event and had a good time. The 2.5 hour event went by surprisingly fast. I would have never thought I would feel that way about wrestling. They are good at what they do, and they are entertainers and athletes.

    Would I go again given the same opportunity and ring access. Yes, I would. Damn, I feel like such a redneck and have the need to go bust out a headlight and a front tooth.

  15. Nick Flandrey says:

    Don’t feel bad Ray, it’s what they do and they are good at it.

    It’s fun to be part of an event.

    n

  16. Greg Norton says:

    I have to admit, I am impressed for a 43 year old guy with multiple knee and back surgeries.

    Not to mention the injuries, physical and psychological, from the much-deserved beatdown his wife delivered about 10 years ago.

    Ah, Christmas in Windermere FL. The “Queen of Versailles” house is located nearby.

  17. Greg Norton says:

    I am headed to San Antone for an engineering conference in a few minutes. Should interesting and boring simultaneously. This is about the 20th or 22nd time that I have gone.

    I love any excuse to be within walking distance of Shilo’s Deli.

    I like the Papa Fritz sandwich. Be sure to get the cheesecake.

    I won’t be down that way until Labor Day Weekend for the big anime show with the kids.

  18. hcombs says:

    RE: Going Metric

    I always thought that Jimmy Carter should have mandated metric at the same time as mandating a national speed limit. He could have set the speed limit to 100 KPH (62 MPH) and everyone would have thought it was wonderful.

  19. Nick Flandrey says:

    Even the british don’t exclusively use metric. They still use ‘4×2’ lumber, they measure speed in KPH but total mileage on a vehicle in miles…and report the weight of people in ‘stone’.

    jewelers and precious metals dealers still use their own measure, as does shipping…both for speed and weight.

    The US by and large uses metric for science and kids are taught thusly, and every manufactured item with packaging has both metric and imperial (common) measure printed on it.

    If regularity and ease of conversion were the be all and end all, time would be changed to decimal with a 100 base, and the months would be regularized, stealing a couple of days for Feb from the rich bastard months with 31…. or we’d go with 13 months following the lunar month…

    Oh, and we’d be speaking esperanto.

    n

  20. JimB says:

    I actually read that, back in the day, some LA newscaster said that if we changed to the metric system, the distance from LA to San Francisco would change from 400 miles to 600 kilometres. It wouldn’t take any longer to get there, however, because we could drive at 100 kilometres an hour instead of just 60 miles per hour.

    These people reproduce!

  21. JimB says:

    Nick, I like the variety of our Gregorian calendar. Cycles within cycles. I have (slightly) studied other calendars, and they all have their, ahem, interesting features.

    Viva Esperanto!

  22. Nick Flandrey says:

    Pretty girl, but apparently not super smart..

    “Student, 22, who is on life support with severe brain injuries after falling from Fordham University’s bell tower at 3am because she ‘wanted a better view of New York City for an Instagram picture’

    Not the first time she’s taken a picture on the edge of a high place.

    n

    added- I’m sure her family and friends are gutted by this but I wonder how many pushed back at the instagram showoff lifestyle? Social media is starting to kill off a certain tiny percentage of its users.

    Social pressure against being a ‘showoff’- another lost value from the past.

  23. JimB says:

    And… I remember one time when the US was going to adopt a metric system. We couldn’t decide which. There were over a dozen systems used by various countries, considering things such as (fastener) threads and other standards. Science keeps it simple, but the commercial world would require lots of accomodations.

    That is just measurement systems. Does anyone remember the only commercial attempt at an all metric tire? Those are probably collectors items today.

  24. JimB says:

    On standards, famous quote, “The good thing about standards is there are so many.” I have used that in a presentation.

    I retired before this one
    https://xkcd.com/927/

    Heh.

  25. JimB says:

    One more. When we were looking at a metric systen around 1979, some study group actually proposed changing linear measure from decimal to fractions. Imagine 3 13/32 cm? Uffda!

    The auto industry has used a decimal inch for many decades [citation needed], also, no feet. E.g. 225.1 inches. I do like that.

  26. Greg Norton says:

    Even the british don’t exclusively use metric. They still use ‘4×2’ lumber, they measure speed in KPH but total mileage on a vehicle in miles…and report the weight of people in ‘stone’.

    From what I understand, the Japanese construction industry has their own traditional system for measuring.

    When I made circuit boards in the 90s, the measurement system was all over the place. Mixing mils (1/1000 inch) and mm wasn’t uncommon. One upside of everything going offshore is that it is all metric now.

  27. ech says:

    Metric isn’t used in US aerospace because there aren’t many space qualified parts in Metric – fasteners, etc.

  28. JimB says:

    The examples I gave above are true. The names were omitted to protect the guilty. Presented in the spirit of a little levity. Please do not take offense.

    I actually like and use some metric systems, as well as the US system of weights and measures. I do wish all industrial countries could get together and agree on one standard. The savings on wrenches alone would be worth it 😉

  29. Rick H says:

    Another favorite quote of mine:

    “67% of all statistics are made up.”

  30. Ray Thompson says:

    The savings on wrenches alone would be worth it

    Man can never have enough tools. Having two sets of wrenches, sockets (normal and deep), allen wrenches, hex wrenches, etc. is just simply accommodating that need. I know I also have many right and left handed screwdrivers and pliers.

  31. JimB says:

    Don’t forget metric and US crescent wrenches!

  32. mediumwave says:

    “67% of all statistics are made up.”

    Ninety-ninety rule

  33. CowboySlim says:

    Yes, pro wrestling is scripted, the moves are standardized, and the wrestlers practice together.

    I agree, but Roller Derby, that’s real.

  34. CowboySlim says:

    OK, boxing is also a fraud. How about 32 – 3 fighting 26 – 2? Yuuup, roger that!

    Now, where I can I see 6 – 45 fighting 3 – 33?

  35. ayj says:

    Maybe imperial units are also a leftover of Cold war and the russian copy of chips, they use MKS and Intel et altri imperial, (sockets, masks etc etc was a nightmare) same thing happened with TU4 and Boeing B29, but they have Beria who fixed any difference.

    Dimensional analysis is easier with mks or cgs, we began this talking Maxwell

  36. Nick Flandrey says:

    Of COURSE roller derby is real. Duh…

    or metric screwdrivers. Or (seriously) look at the mess of drivers that are all phillips at first glance, there are at least 5…

    sockets and wrenches, 6 or 12 point? or the weird one Ford uses?

    Whitworth sizes! (old british cars and motorcycles)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNRnrn5DE58 — the origins of precision

    n

  37. Lynn says:

    These people reproduce!

    Watch the movie “Idiocracy”. The first five minutes will explain a lot.

  38. Lynn says:

    Don’t forget metric and US crescent wrenches!

    I’ve been looking for a 250 mm crescent wrench to compliment my 10 inch crescent wrench. Haven’t found one yet.

  39. Lynn says:

    So it was 48 F at my house this morning. I saw 76 F driving to San Antone.

    I-10 SUCKS ! I got in two traffic jams with brake pedal to the floor between Columbus and Luling. It is fun coming over a hill at 80 mph and finding a parking lot in front of you. More fun was the 100+ wheel tractor with two trailers hauling a crane with a 50 ft boom going 90 mph and watching him lock all those wheels up.

  40. Nick Flandrey says:

    yikes, glad you made it!

    n

  41. Nick Flandrey says:

    US surveyors use decimal feet. Yhey have for some time.

    Federal construction projects use metric. All dims are in mm. So you get stuff like a balcony called out at 9845mm above finished floor…. of course all the materials are in feet and fractional feet, ceiling tiles, brick, floor tiles, height of walls, door frames, etc are all in even measure when spec’d in feet and inches. The building code requirements are all in feet and inches too, which is law, so everyone ends up converting all the time, which leads to errors. It’s easy enough if you are producing the drawings, just change units to metric after everything is done and everything will be properly dimensioned.

    n

    if you are onsite working, it’s a bit harder.

  42. Greg Norton says:

    I-10 SUCKS ! I got in two traffic jams with brake pedal to the floor between Columbus and Luling. It is fun coming over a hill at 80 mph and finding a parking lot in front of you. More fun was the 100+ wheel tractor with two trailers hauling a crane with a 50 ft boom going 90 mph and watching him lock all those wheels up.

    Yeah, nice weekend day, everybody in San Antonio went for a day trip, and they all have to stop at Buc-ee’s in Luling on the way home.

    This was the first really nice day of Sherwood Forest Faire in McDade. You don’t want to be out at that place even in slightly drippy weather.

  43. Lynn says:

    I did not even stop at Buccees in Luling. That place was a disaster. I stopped at Loves on the north side of I10.

    Saw a lot of customers and friends tonight. Dog tired now.

    I’ve got my truck parked in an open lot with security here in the LA Quinta by the Alamo. What could go wrong ?

  44. JimB says:

    Nick, that video on the origins of precision was one of the best I have watched in a long time, thanks.

  45. Greg Norton says:

    I did not even stop at Buccees in Luling. That place was a disaster. I stopped at Loves on the north side of I10.

    Love’s or Flying J work. I don’t recommend Love’s in remote areas at 2 AM when the barrels of porn and hookers appear and you learn why they call it “Love’s”.

    We stopped at Buc-ee’s in Bastrop after our last trip to Sherwood Forest, but we were headed back to Austin.

    I’ve got my truck parked in an open lot with security here in the LA Quinta by the Alamo. What could go wrong ?

    You’ll be fine. Just don’t leave anything valuable on the seats.

    San Antonio is not Austin. The tourism and convention business is important to the city. They just need to get rid of the socialist pinhed mayor before he inflicts any more damage.

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